[Info-vax] VAX VMS going forward (VAXELN)

[Jan-Erik Söderholm]

Den 2020-07-26 kl. 22:08, skrev johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk:
> On Sunday, 26 July 2020 20:14:41 UTC+1, David Wade  wrote:
>> On 26/07/2020 19:32, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>>> On 7/26/2020 2:16 PM, Jan-Erik Söderholm wrote:
>>>> Den 2020-07-24 kl. 23:07, skrev Jan-Erik Söderholm:
>>>>> Den 2020-07-22 kl. 16:35, skrev Jan-Erik Söderholm:
>>>>>> And what say the sites still using/running VAXELN? A major kitchen
>>>>>> applience manufacturer in Sweden had multiple VAXELN system for
>>>>>> their assembly lines up to at least 3-4 years ago. Not sure of
>>>>>> the actual status today...
>>>>>
>>>>> Just got a reply back. That site has 11 VAXELN systems in production.
>>>>> Don't know if it is still VAX hardware or if they run on emulation...
>>>>
>>>> These 11 VAXELN systems seems to be mostly VAX 4000-500. No emulators.
>>>> Running assembly lines in a factory...
>>>
>>> There 4000-500's must be 25+ years old.
>>>
>>> I would consider relying on so old HW to be a business risk.
>>>
>>> Arne
>>>
>> Depends on the stock of spares, and skill level. Trouble is many
>> businesses have a spares that they never test and don't understand that
>> things on shelves deteriorate.
>>
>> The big problem with an update is that in a factory setting it might be
>> harder to get the same level of reliability over time.
>>
>> Dave
> 
> And depending on what the factory does,

It's assembly of kitchen appliances. These systems are the "assembly
line controllers". Today it would be built around a PLC system for
each assembly line. Which is the way it is built at "my" site and
then having our VMS system talking to the line-PLC's. But that is
standard VSI Alpha VMS, not any VAXELN.

> the cost of migration and
> recertification on a new platform (hardware and/or software) might
> exceed the "business risk" of running on obsolete (but potentially
> tried tested proven and certified) hardware and software and
> processes.
> 

I think that it was a little uncertain how long this site would
survive, so they just have let it running.

A friend of mine runs a company which core business is to support
any old DEC equipment. So he has today the HW support agreements
for this VAX 4000-500 and supply them with spares. One of the
last jobs was to move the storage frm DSSI to SCSI...

Our DS20e/666 are on HW support from the same guy, btw.

Whatever, it is a bit of fun anyway... :-)



> Especially if the system is dependent on VAXELN, which DEC HQ in
> its infinitesimal wisdom decided could be replaced by a variant of
> VxWorks using Tru64/Alpha host and a tiny subset of Alpha or Motorola
> targets. It would be a "re-architect the application from the ground
> up" job. Can you imagine the customer response? I don't need to.
> 
>